Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-14

. he was reguiar-f5SGureQ, with kee
2 dark eyes, G heavy brown mousGache al
ready tinged with gray, and well-forme
head that was already becoming bald
YET Digby Montressor was not yet NOR
than thirty, and the general character G
his face was now alternately grave an
set, or hunted and irrit8ted.
''What has come TO you, Digby, oil
fellow-eXcuse me asking your" s&it
Lonsdale to him more than once; "bu
somehow you seem sorely changed sine
you and parted year ago at Southamp
ton, en- our return on leave together iron
India"
az an changed-soured- crushed, cd
nit, and may well be So"
"And the cause?"
ga Womani"
"The old, old story"
"But mine is somewhat new. was 81
right enough, perhaps, till 1 met MI
actual fate-as the novels have tin tht
form Of very beautiful and attractive
girl, 10 whom was introduced st a house
to which Horace MusgrGve, of the Hus-
ssrs, took me incidentally one day."
"Whose house 2" asked LonsdSle,
casually.
"That of Mrs. Chillington."
"Of Chillington Psrk-up the river?"
"Yes. Do you know her ?"
ga little-WheW! What small place
this world is, after all, replied Lonedale,
over Observation-Disclosures the awful
heat of the Red Sea, through which the
Pagods was then steaming with the light
wind dead astern-there came kind of
chill, fear, he knew not of what, unless
If was that be Intensely disliked the name
of Melanie's matchmaking aunt. "Tell
me all about this-if you care to do So"
81 shRll-5ut, old friend, when we
came back together from Bengal, q year
ago, there was q secret in my life OF
which you knew nothing, We are told
by COwper,
The darkest day,
Lived till to morrow Will have passed away.
But it is not 30 with me, for other darks
follow each other in grim succession
and will do o,till the bitter end cOmes.'"
Then after pause he carefully Sc
lected and lighted the inevitable cigar, as
if to gather comfort or inspiration there
from, and after few whiffs said:
81 was not always in my present regi-
ment, as you know; belonged to 6
lancer corps at frat, and when with it
was-msrried."
"Married-what-you Digby?" ex-
claimed L0nsdale; "We always thought
you were bachelor. Well"
"I was msrried-better that had been
shot in the Afghan pAsses-married be-
fore you knew me, and that is the first
portion OF my secret"
CHAPTER zXI.-THE PROGRESS oFAF0LLY.
AS il he had kind Of horror, or dis
gust of WHIST he had to relate, he began
briefly the esrly portion Of his story, but
became more dIscursIve as he proceeded,
as il to explain or palliate his own folly,
and we shall give it, not IN his words,
but our own.
Soon after his appointment to Lancer
corps at Maidstone, DIgby Montressor
found himself lettering on a months
leave at Brighton, as he had not, in the
world, near relation whom he cared to
visit.
An orphan from his early boyhood, he
knew little OF life generally; little, or
nothing Of society, that of ladies especi-
ally, and was thus naturally shy, retiring
and ignorant of the world at large; hence,
perhaps the pltfall that proved SO fatal
to him, in the person of more than at
tractive young girl at Brighton-thst
PiCcadilly-by- the-sea.
They became acquainted very simply,
when sitting on the same sofa or seat OF
the marine parade st the house end. The
wind had turned her sunshade inside out,
he rearranged it for her, but not without
difficulty, aud as he restored it he noticed
the fine form of her hand, although
gloved, the glitter Of q handsome gold
bracelet, he felt the rustic of her dress
against his arm, the Watt OF some deli
cate perfume came toward him and he
WAS sensible of thanking smile from
pair Of beautiful eyes, with very long
lashes.
81 am very stupid and awkward" he
muttered, as he returned her sunshsde,
"snd but little used TO talking to ladies'"
1t wEs an idiotic admission for any man
to make Lancer, perhaps, especially
and her eyes twipkled with amusement.
"The acknowledgement is quite re-
freshing," said she.
"HoW?"
sat is so novel"
Her hair-her soft curling fringe-was
Of rich brown in the shade, but s0ftened
TO golden shot chestnut in the sunshine;
her eyes were Of liquid dark gray, soften
ed by very exquisite lsshes. She was
psle or coIorless, and her little nose,
though intended, perhaps, to be Grecian,
had somehow been finished Off in the
pertest and prettiest of the retrousse
kind.
eyes," she resumed, after a pause.
'your admission is new experience to
me SIS you are yourself"
"Indeed?" he gueri3d.
81 am never permitted to speak to gen
tlemen."
"By Whom?"
"My aunt and guardian"
"But, WhyP" he continued, gathering
courage.
"She thinks it wrong for young girls to
know gentlemen until they are married"
"And you"
own soon be so-too soon, fear"
"Too soon?" said young Moptressor, q
little perplexed by the confidential turn
the conversation had SO suddenly taken.
"Hcw?"
because do not know the man am
to marry" said she with little moue.
"What riddle is this?" asked Dlgby,
catching the sunshade, which seemed on
the point of being reversed again.
81 was engaged to him in my school
girl days. he is in India just now
cousin of mine"
Engaged to him-by your own will?"
"No; by our parents, since dead."
"But you love him, Of course?"
"No; simply hate him-shere!"
Her dark, grey eyes flashed through a
suffusjon sS she snnke and onr sillV